It’s easy to dismiss your dining hall experience as a business transaction- you swipe, you eat and you go. But for many students at Elon University, a visit to a dining hall carries with it more comfort and familiarity because of the people behind the counters who serve with a smile.
Elon Dining Services staff members have been forming lasting relationships with students, serving as a source of comfort and a family away from home. These friendly relationships, built from thoughtfulness, have helped foster a sense of community for both students and staff members.
Laura Haith, often seen managing the swipe counter at Lakeside Dining Hall, is popularly considered by students as one of the many staff members who works to create a homelike environment for students. From memorizing names, faces and birthdays to keeping up to date with campus activities, Haith has been forming strong connections with students for the past ten years.
“Nobody wants to go anywhere and feel cold,” she said. “When you walk through that door, I want you know that somebody cares.”
As the mother of two children, Haith said she understands how difficult it might be to be away from family for an extended period of time.
“I wouldn’t want my sons to be away from home and feel no kind of love,” she said. “So I treat every student the way I treat my children.”
The bonds she has created with students have lasted beyond their four years at Elon- former students still call her on a regular basis and invite her to events such as wedding showers.
“The fact that they want me to be a part of their next step in life is just so amazing,” she said.
First year Sam Fisch said it’s the personal touch that makes all the difference.
“Many of them are like second moms,” he said. “We talk about how my weekend is going, how I’m feeling and even about whether there are any girls in my life.”
Fisch said the warm environment is the reason why he looks forward to coming back.
Julie Wilson is a familiar face to many students who form long lines in front of Lakeside Dining Hall’s omelet station every morning. Despite the crowd around her station, Wilson creates a personal experience for each student, asking them about their days and how they’re feeling, as she carefully prepares their orders. Wilson even goes out of her way to memorize the orders of some regulars.
It was during one of these conversations that first-year student Mae Schwelkert formed a connection with Wilson.
“She knows about my family, my running and even about my injuries,” Schwelkert said.
Wilson said it is a joy to interact with students on a regular basis. Having started her eighth year at Elon, Wilson said the relationships she shares with students are the reason why she goes to work every day.
“I want to be more than just a server here. I want to be their Elon mom or whatever I can be for them,” she said. “So I try to start their day off with an omelet made with love.”
Junior Najah Short, who has formed several friendships with Dining Services staff members said it doesn’t take much to respond to such levels of kindness.
“Most of my friendships started from a simple, ‘How are you doing?’,” she said. “As I kept coming back, the relationships just kept strengthening.”
Short said she believes it is an honor for the staff members to be taking some of their time to genuinely care for students.
“They could come to work with a frown on their face or just do the bare minimum, but they don’t,” she said. “A lot of them go out of their way to make sure that students feel welcomed.”
Class of 2014 alumnus Joe Bruno said words cannot express how thankful he is for the friendship he developed with Ashley Curtis, who works at Acorn. Serving as an escape from the stresses of working late nights in McEwen, Curtis’ perseverance and backstory inspired him to keep pushing through his own hard times.
“She played the role of my mentor, mother and at times a best friend,” he said. “We continue to keep in touch on Facebook, and all the stories of her kids, Sophie and Mason, brighten my day.”
Similarly, Class of 2009 alumnus Peter Ustach said his friendships with staff members Krystal Neil and Antoine Downey continue to grow.
Ustach added his friendly relationship with Neil began through simple conversations about life while she would prepare his order in PanGeo’s, a former dining option on Elon’s campus. Those conversations would continue everyday, and the two have kept talking ever since.
“I consider him one of my closest friends in Burlington,” he said. “We go to Greensboro Grasshopper games, and we see each other on a regular basis.”
As many members of the Dining Services staff continue putting in extra effort to genuinely care for students, Ustach stressed that it is important to recognize their work.
“It’s more than seeing the person in front of you as just someone swiping your Phoenix Card every day,” he said. “Once you take that extra step by just saying ‘Thank you’ or asking ‘How are you?’ meaningful relationships can be created.”